Destiny's Children
by Paralelsky
Summary: Magic. Secrets. Adventures. Friendship. And a hiding witch disguised as the Prince's manservant, because His Royal Pratness needs all the help he could get to achieve his destiny. Au-ish. Fem Merlin.
1. Prologue

**Destiny's Children**

**Summary: **Magic. Secrets. Adventures. Friendship. And a hiding witch disguised as the Prince's manservant, because His Royal Pratness needs all the help he could get to achieve his destiny. Au-ish. Fem Merlin.

**Pairing: **eventually Arthur/fem Merlin, but still a long way until then.

**Rating:** PG

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to their respective owners, I'm just taking them for a fun ride a.k.a. fanfiction.

**Warnings:**

**1. Merlin will be female in this, so if it's not your cup of tea, then don't drink it! You may still give it a try, perhaps you'll grow up to like it.**

**2. The story is AU, as in I will take the events of the show and spin them to reflect my own storyline, therefore the timeline as you know it will be quite scrambled.**

**3. English is not my first language, so there will ****probably **be mistakes and awkward phrasings. I do employ a spellchecker on all my writings, but the help of a good beta is invaluable. Anyone offering that? 

**4. Un-betaed. For now.**

**5. I'm a horrible procrastinator. Please keep me on track with constant encouragements. "smiling shamelessly"**

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_Prologue_

_Once upon a time, in a land far away lived an enchantress of great beauty. Her hair was as dark as the midnight sky, her eyes the coldest blue and her lips as red as fresh spilled blood, and everyone who saw her, young and old, innocents and sinners fell under her spell. Kings lay their lands at her feet, knights spoke of undying love and devotion and simple men were ready to die just to get a glimpse of her, and for awhile the witch knew absolute power: with a just one whisper in the ear of one of her suitors she could start a war, kill a troublesome rival or receive everything her heart desired. _

_Yet, no matter how powerful one was, time had always been stronger, and as the years went by, the coldness of her heart became more and more apparent as her beauty and strength diminished. No longer people from all over the world sang her praises, and her vain heart grew more and more bitter until only one desire was left there: to regain what she had lost and to rule again for all eternity. And for that she needed power, and magic that was beyond her capabilities, yet no matter how knowledgeable she was about the teachings of the Old Religion, there was nothing there that could help her. So she went deeper and deeper in her search, stirring up secrets better left forgotten and waking up nightmares that the world had come to forget, until one day, on a parchment ready to crumble she found her answer: and artifact so powerful that could fulfill her every wish. A goddess' necklace, spun out from living gold, the tears of moon and the heart of magic itself, made by the God of craftsmen, as a gift to his mother so she would bless his union with the goddess of love. It didn't matter that those gods had long passed into oblivion, or that the original necklace was lost never to be found, for the parchment the witch now had in her possession listed all the ingredients needed for a new necklace to be made. _

_Armed with that knowledge the enchantress fled to the Crystal Cave, the birthing place of magic, and after bringing the required sacrifices she asked the foretelling crystals for advice. What they told her chilled her to her bones and set in motion a chain of events that would change the world forever:_

"_The one with the power to gather the pieces has not yet been born." the crystals whispered in a thousand voices. "Born out of magic, but not a magic user himself, he will be the greatest knight the world has ever known. Pure of heart, fiercely loyal and protective of his lands and the people in them, he will be the Once and Future King of Albion, destined to unite the lands and bring peace and prosperity on them."_

_From her position kneeling on the crystal floor she asked, hope lingering in her heart:_

"_And will I be his queen?" For she was certain that none other would be deserving of that honour. _

"_No Niviane." the crystals answered without mercy. "His fate has already been tied with that of another. A child of magic that would become the greatest sorceress that the world has ever known. The elements will be at her call and she will wield them to protect her lord and their lands, and they will go down in history as legendary pair never to be matched by any other." And the crystals spoke no more, as the prophecy they have revealed imprinted in the fabric of magic itself, to be known to all magical creatures that knew how to listen._

_As for the witch, she stood motionless for a long time, body growing cold as hate scorched her heart and ruthless plans grew in her mind. When she finally got up, she smiled chillingly and threw her challenge at the silent cave: "We shall see about that!" then she turned and walked away, never looking back. _

_And when decades later a pair of distraught young parents came to her asking for a child, she hid her smugness under understanding smiles and gentle words and granted their wish, never caring for the years of suffering and the carnage that followed the day when King Uther Pendragon got the son he so desired, but lost his beloved wife. The enchantress just slipped away, waiting patiently until prince Arthur was old and strong enough to be sent on his traditional quest, while hoping that amongst the hundreds executed for having magic by a bitter King Uther, there was also her future rival._

_She should have known better that Destiny wasn't so easily thwarted._

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To be continued?


	2. Introducing Merlin

**AN:** A big **THANK YOU **to everyone who reviewed. It was a far better response that I've expected for that little prologue. I just hope the next chapters won't disappoint.

I also want to address a question most of you asked me in your reviews: **Is Niviane my version of Nimueh or is she an OC? **Well, the truth is that she's both. According to Wikipedia, the witch that trapped Merlin was **Niviane** (or **Nymue**, **Nimue**, **Niniane**, **Nyneue**, or **Viviane** in some versions of the legend), and I think she's the inspiration for the show's Nimueh and my Niviane, who is a more developed version of the character. In my story Niviane is responsible for The Mark and The Poisoned Chalice, but she also has a better motive for waiting to attack Camelot only after Arthur was close to being off age. After all the show never told us why Nimueh was such a fair-play villain that left Camelot alone for 20 years and started attacking only after the city had a fighting chance in the team Merlin and Arthur makes.

**Betas: **The incredibly helpful **Anne-Lilian** and **Whirlwind421**. Thank you so much ladies for you input, Annie for your helpful observations that made this chapter a much easier read and Whirlwind, for nitpicking the grammar and putting everything into its rightful place. I proudly claim all remaining mistakes.

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Introducing Merlin

**… _17 years and 7 months ago…._**

The forest was unnaturally silent, and not for the first time Hunith debated the wisdom of having left the well traveled road for the lesser known path snaking its way along the small river between boulders that still retained patches of snow where the sun didn't reach.

But she had been pressed to get back to Ealdor after her emergency trip to her brother in Camelot, and the chill and humidity in the air, promising ice cold rain that was too reminiscent of snow, had been the final push toward the shortcut that could eat away almost half-a-day's worth of walking.

_Get a grip Hunith you know these woods, there is nothing to be afraid of here. _She silently encouraged herself, resolutely ignoring that part of the thought that was actually a lie. Yes, she did know the woods and the signs that usually spoke of danger, but since King Uther had started his purge against all things magical, the forests of the realm have become great hiding places for those fleeing the king's wrath. And some of those were not people Hunith would have liked to meet in an isolated clearing.

But worrying for what might happen was not practical, and life had taught her that often the mind would play tricks on those who lingered too much on their thoughts, so Hunith briskly picked up the pace, shivering a little under the cold March sun. It was only after she went pass the solitary rock blocking her view of the clearing that lay ahead on her path, that she wished she hadn't ignored her instincts.

Bodies were all over the clearing like broken dolls, the remains of a battle fought not too long ago. Large patches of blood darkened the earth, but the bodies seemed undisturbed by the animals of the forest. It looked as if no one was alive; those still able to stand having probably left with their comrades.

_No consideration for the dead. _She thought bitterly as shock melted into anger at the nameless men that hadn't even had the decency of making a funeral pyre for their fallen comrades. Anger was good in her books, the emotion giving her the incentive to move from her spot even while she recognized her own powerlessness. She couldn't turn away now - the sun was quickly approaching its setting point, nor she could help them, for the bodies were too many to try to do something, so she steeled her heart and made her way carefully in the clearing, while whispering under her breath a prayer for the souls of those that wouldn't get to see another day. She was almost across when a low moan froze her in her tracks. She listened carefully, certain it had been a trick of her mind but…_there…_she heard it again.

_Could it be that someone is still alive? _She could hardly believe it as she kneeled near the man laying face down in the shallow ditch. There were cut and bruises everywhere she could see, his clothes torn and bloody, but when she carefully turned him around, her hands brushing his temple, she was startled to discover that instead of him being ice cold, his skin was burning up.

_Not good. _She knew the signs courtesy of her brother the Palace Physician. Somewhere in his body, infection had already taken root and there was a very big chance that he would die anyway, no matter what she did. Yet, the thought of leaving him there had never crossed her mind as she was already looking around for anything she could use to help him.

And when three days later, his fever broke and about the only thing she learned from him was that his name was Balinor, Hunith had no idea that somewhere deep inside a cave a crystal had begun to faintly shine.

**…_16 years and 9 months ago…._**

Winter had once again come to Ealdor, the heavy snow and the cold air keeping most of the villagers in their homes, but for the small elderly woman bracing her way against the whiteness, that was not an option. She had felt it earlier in her old bones - the feeling that something was about to happen, and with swift moves, born from years of experience as a healer, she had gathered her herbs and needed provisions in a satchel. Then she had left the comfort of her hut to go to the edge of the village where, if what she suspected was true, a new life was about to begin.

By the time she had made it there, a cry filled with pain greeted her at the door. Inside the hut, huddled on her small cot, the young woman was already sweating despite the coldness of the air. Without wasting time, the healer moved inside the hut and soon a merry fire sprang to life, warming the pot of water that was placed above, while the old healer smoothed the brow of the soon to be mother.

"Hush child, it will soon be over." Taking a small bottle from her provisions she helped the exhausted mother take a small sip.

"That's right." Gnarled hands gripped younger ones with surprising strength, "Now listen to me, I need you to push."

A strangled cry was the answer.

"Be strong Hunith! Push!" The encouragement came over and over again until the younger woman felt she could give no more and then, with a final burst of strength and pure determination it was over. A smack and a feeble cry filled the small hut, and through the haze of pain and exhaustion Hunith heard the midwife speak a few words that made no sense, but she paid them no heed as a small bundle was placed at her chest and the world at large ceased to exist.

_A daughter, she had a daughter! _Smiling and crying at the same time as supreme happiness battled with intense sorrow in her heart, the feelings so diametrical opposed she feared they could tear her apart, if it weren't for the tiny babe completely dependent on her that was slowly settling to sleep against her breast. She was barely aware of midwife cleaning her and throwing the birth remains into the fire, but she awoke out of her haze when an old hand came to settle gently on her daughter smatter of dark hair.

"What are you going to name her?" And while the question was to be expected, Hunith realized she hadn't prepared herself for that, not knowing if the child to be born would be a girl or a boy, nor what her beloved would have like for a name.

For a moment Hunith thought indecisive at some of the names she had heard in the village, but none felt right. And then she remembered what happened in the morning, while she was carrying water from the well. She had stopped for a moment to catch her breath, the snow making the journey back to the hut twice as long, when she had noticed a small shadow falling from the sky, swift and deadly, directly where a few birds were pecking on fallen seeds, scattering them to the four winds, except for one unfortunate pigeon that was still flapping its useless wings. The bird of prey had stood there motionless for a long time, yellow eyes looking directly at her, before taking its flight, prey firmly encased in deadly talons, leaving the woman to watch after it wistfully. And Hunith had been envious of it, of its freedom and grace, imagining how wonderful would have been if she weren't bound by her decisions and had the possibility to go and find where the man she loved was hiding, when a sharp bout of pain starting in her lower back, followed by wetness washing down her legs, had snapped her back to reality, also telling her that her time had come.

"Merlin. Her name will be Merlin." Hunith said, drying a lone tear from her eyes, and then old healer took the child in her arms so that the young mother could settle more comfortably on the thin cot.

"Blessed be, Merlin." The midwife whispered to the tired baby, and then she gave her back to her exhausted parent and left the hut, leaving mother and child to sleep through their first night as a family.

Meanwhile somewhere in a Crystal Cave, a thousand crystals shone as ancient prophecies started their course, under the castle of Camelot, the Great Dragon roared his call to the heavens, and in the forests of the realm, the druids whispered to each other: _Emrys is here. The time for change is approaching. _

**…_.13 years ago….._**

Hunith had known her daughter was special, and not because she let her maternal pride cloud her judgment. No, her proof was the countless occasions she would place something on the table like and apple or a carrot, leaving it there for only a moment, and by the time she would reach for it to put it in the boiling stew, she would find it in Merlin's grasp, the little girl giggling contently from her small cot in the back of the hut. But even with that knowledge tucked away in the back of her mind, nothing had prepared her for the sight that greeted her one evening when she returned home after gathering some firewood.

In the middle of the hut, her three and a half years daughter was playing with what appeared to be a large, glowing, fire butterfly. The magical insect was flying in lazy circles around the little girl, before settling on her open palm while gently fluttering its wings.

Merlin was delighted. Hunith stared speechless, until two more sparks jumped from the fire, transformed into butterflies as well and proceeded to dance around the smiling little girl, and the mother could feel the wood she'd gathered slip away from her lax fingers as her world tilted on its axis. This was not something she could ignore any longer, this was magic in its purest form and there was no possible way she could deny it if someone else were to see it and ask questions about it. And with witch-hunters moving farther from Camelot in their search for sorcerers they could later ransom to King Uther's quest of ridding the country of magic, it was only a matter of time until they reached Ealdor and started sniffing around. It was the chilling possibility of seeing her child falling prey to the unscrupulous hunters that spurred Hunith into action as she fell on her knees in front of her daughter and grabbed the child by the arms.

"Make them go away, Merlin. Now!" Her urgency made Hunith sound harsher than she had wanted and Merlin reacted instantly, the butterflies dissipating into the air now that there was no outside force shaping them. Looking ready to cry, the little girl glanced at her mother unsure of what she had done wrong.

"But mama, I…made them for you. Don't you like them?"

It hurt, seeing her daughter's blue eyes fill with tears, when only moments ago she had been so happy, but the safety of their little family was more important that soothing wounded feelings.

"Merlin, this is important. Have you shown this to anyone else?"

"No mama…This was a surprise…for you." By now tears made their way on rosy cheeks, "Did I…do…something bad?"

"Oh Merlin," Relived that her worst fears were not confirmed, the woman gave in to the distress she could read on her child's expressive face and scooped her daughter in an encompassing hug, as tiny shoulders shook a little. "No, dearest, you did nothing wrong. You just surprised me a little." _And scared away a few years of my life_. "But Merlin, what you did…You must promise me you won't show anyone else."

"Why mama?" Buried in her mother's arms Merlin had stopped crying, and now that she was calmer her natural curiosity made her press for answers. And on any other occasion Hunith would have patiently explained the reasons, but this decision was too important.

"Promise me!" Hunith pressed on, while Merlin remained silent, until she answered in a small voice. "I promise mama." And the young woman let herself relax around her precious burden, when the girl pushed back a little and looking her mother in the eyes, gave an impish smiled and said, "This will be our little secret."

Hunith smiled in response, hiding her heartache that had started the moment she had realized that amongst the things she had to teach her daughter was also the ability to lie convincingly and to hide who she really was.

**…_3 months ago…_**

At sixteen Merlin was tall and gangly which really didn't help too much with her natural clumsiness especially when running for her life from the pair of hunters that were pursuing her.

She really shouldn't have left her house that day, but after two weeks coped inside or near the hut, by the rumors of the King's Uther hunters combing the woods near Ealdor, looking for magic users to capture, both her and her mother's tempers had become a little frayed at the edge. So, the young woman had decided to strategically retreat and go and look for some medicinal herbs in the nearby forest. Lost in her thoughts, she paid little attention to her surrounding, which proved to be her second stupid mistake for the day, when she literally stumbled on where the hunters had made camp. And now, she was running for her life.

_Twack! _A previously invisible branch snapped at her face and almost sent her tumbling down, if it weren't for the sapling conveniently growing near that she grabbed to stop her descent. Unfortunately the near miss allowed her pursuers to get even closer and Merlin could feel her panic rising, making the tentative control she had on her ever growing powers even more fragile than usual. Her magic had always reacted to strong feelings like love, hurt and fear, and the situation she was in - running for her life from a pair of hunters, had all the markings of an imminent disaster.

She had to get out of there fast, so she pushed her legs to run, ignoring the burn she could feel building in her abused muscles, almost stumbling when she dived into a shallow ravine that would hopefully hide her from their view. There, she stopped only for a second to catch her breath and she was ready to run again, when suddenly, one of them was directly in front of her and she barely avoided crashing into him, while the other was approaching fast from behind.

"What do you want from me? Stay away." She cried with false bravado while desperately searching for a way out.

"Now, now pretty girl." The one in front of her sneered showing a mouth full of rotten teeth. "We're just looking for a bit of fun." His companion snickered behind her and Merlin felt sick.

"No need to fight us that hard." Moving faster than Merlin had expected, the hunter in front grabbed her hand and yanked her to his chest, one of his meaty hands fisting the neckline of her dress. Merlin screamed, in both anger and fear, and hit him on his breastplate, in a move that would have had no effect if she hadn't possessed magic, but the moment her palm made contact, her assailant went sailing through the air until he crushed into a tree ten feet away, where he slid down the trunk and remained unmoving.

His companion stopped laughing.

"You filthy witch! I'll kill you for that!" Merlin barely jumped to the side as the second hunter swung his short blade from behind her and came close to cutting her arm. On the ground, she barely had the chance to lift her hands in defense while he was swinging his weapon down a second time, when he too went sailing as if he'd been grabbed by an invisible hand. Where he landed, he remained unmoving just like his companion.

For a moment, Merlin lay there stunned, her magic having never reacted so violently before. Then, as she looked at the unmoving bodies, nausea pooled in the pit of her stomach and she battled with the need to be sick right then and there.

_I don't have time for this! _She kept thinking while she gathered herself from the forest floor and she begun to move towards her house, a different sort of panic fueling her tired muscles.

"Heavens above child! What happened to you?" Hunith almost dropped the pot she was taking from the stove when her daughter came into the hut, dress disheveled and pale as a ghost.

"Mama." Merlin collapsed in her mother's hug while the tears she had kept at bay suddenly came down her cheeks. "They…were hunters…in the wood." She barely managed between sobs while her mother grew still near her.

"Merlin. What did you do?" Hunith sounded scared and resigned, but her grip on her daughter's shoulders never relaxed.

"I used magic." Merlin whispered, her face hidden in the kerchief her mother traditionally wore. "I'm so sorry. Please don't send me away!" She cried when Hunith disentangled herself from their hug.

"Don't be stupid, Merlin. I love you and I would never banish you!" The older woman said while urgently picking up some things and shoving them in a satchel, with Merlin standing still and watching stupidly. "But the fact is that you can't stay here. Not until the hunters are gone and the rumors died out."

"Where are you sending me?" The young witch had calmed down a little and was helping the older woman with the packing, now that her mother had taken control of the situation.

"You must go to Camelot, to your uncle Gaius. He will keep you safe until you can come back home. There is a letter in your pack that explains your situation to him." Seeing the surprised expression the girl wore Hunith gave her a pained smile. "I always knew this day would come, my dear. I just planned ahead."

Then, the older woman pushed her daughter down on a small chair, and with deft moves she began snipping black tresses that only that morning she had lovingly brushed.

"Mother, what are you doing?" To her credit Merlin didn't move from the stool even thought the bewilderment was plain in her voice.

"If anyone goes looking, they will ask about a young woman that can do magic, Merlin. Nobody is going to pay attention to a young boy traveling to Camelot wanting to become the apprentice to one of the town's craftsmen." Hunith explained while carefully cutting away the hair covering Merlin's ears. "Now sit still, before I clip something."

Merlin wisely refrained from asking more questions, and an hour later, mother and daughter had a brief, but tearful goodbye. None of them knew at the time as the young witch took her first steps on her destined path, that Merlin would never again call Ealdor _home._

**… _2 and a half months ago …_**

"Merlin, which part of '_Stay out of trouble!' _ can't you understand?" Gaius asked resigned while eying his charge in an evidently reproving manner. "In just two weeks, you insulted and faced off the prince twice, visited the dungeon and the stocks and now you've become his manservant! Do you have no sense of self-preservation?"

"And should I just left him to get killed then?" Merlin stopped munching on her apple when her uncle's eyebrow of doom rose even higher at her rather disrespectful tone. Suddenly, the spacious quarters of the Royal Physician were no longer so accommodating and the young witch wondered if she should make a run for it to avoid the lecture.

"No, I do not. I do expect however that you show a modicum of subtlety and don't make such obvious use of your gift in front of the entire court of Camelot. If they weren't still groggy from the witch's spell, I think the king at least would have been suspicious." Gaius sighed, as if the wind was slowly being taken away from his sails. "When I allowed you to keep your disguise, I did it because the hunters sent near Ealdor were due to return to Camelot to give their reports. I certainly didn't think it would come to this. Because you have to understand Merlin, the king is paranoid with his son's life and future, and if he were to discover that the young boy he had rewarded for saving Arthur's life, turns out to be a young woman, he will definitely assume the worst and react accordingly."

"What danger could I possibly pose to the prince's safety?" Merlin was genuinely puzzled and the slight smirk Gaius was sporting wasn't helping.

"You wouldn't be the first lady trying to infiltrate the Royal household in the hopes of seducing the prince and getting a position for yourself."

"Seducing!...Me?...And that prat?...No, just no. That's just plain wrong...No way..." Merlin denied frantically, while Gaius watched it all with obvious amusement. "Don't look at me like that! And despite what you and that matchmaking dragon downstairs might think, I'm not the other side of the coin for that idiot!"

"The matchmaking dragon?" Gaius was sure he had never heard someone refer to the Great Dragon like that.

"It doesn't matter." Merlin waved off the question. "Besides I'm only here temporarily, until I can go back to Ealdor. In a month's time, I can say that something has come up and disappear, and nobody would care about the fate of one servant, especially not the prince. You'll see, it will all work out in the end." Merlin said trying to convince herself. Ignoring the knowing look Gaius was giving her, she turned around and headed to her room, shuddering slightly when she remembered their earlier topic of discussion: _Me and Arthur…That's just…Not happening_.

**… _1 month ago …_**

"Is he alright?" Stepping inside the Physician's quarters the prince sounded tentative and Merlin, who was sipping some hot soup under the watchful eyes of Gaius, felt something tightening in her chest at the rather uncharacteristic behavior. The Arthur she was beginning to know was never tentative in his questioning and that, more than anything, told Merlin how much her near dying from the poisoned chalice had affected those around her. So mustering a weak smile, she turned around from the table and greeted the prince.

"I'm fine now….And I've been told I have you to thank for that."

Arthur shrugged, which was the prince-speak for _Don't mention it_ and _You're welcome_, as Merlin was slowly starting to learn. "Well, you do know, half-decent servants are hard to come by nowadays."

"Is that a compliment in there, sire?" Merlin couldn't help but needle him a bit.

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Don't get ahead of yourself. My stables need mucking, my room needs cleaning and the boots were dirty from before the party."

_Ah, and there's the arrogant prat._

"Noted _my lord_. I'll see to them first thing in the morning."

"Don't be late!" The prince was almost outside the door, but the young woman still had one thing to say cheerfully: "And Arthur? Thank you!" Still smiling, she turned back to her meal only to be met with the pensive gaze of her mentor.

"What?" she asked him when the silence stretched uncomfortably.

"Merlin, when are you going to tell him the truth?" Gaius asked, while slowly placing his working bench in order. Several jars had spilled their contents, testimony to the frantic search for a cure ever since Merlin had collapsed after drinking the poison, and now that the debacle was over, the old physician had the time to ponder other things. Like the fact that his young ward and the future King of Camelot were growing closer. After all, for no other servant had the Prince volunteered to go on a dangerous trip despite the King's opposition.

"You think I'm setting myself to get hurt, don't you?" Merlin's smile had dropped, giving the young girl an older and more worn out look. "But Gaius, I'm already lying to him about my magic. What's another secret, after all?"

"Just remember Merlin, there's no action without consequences and eventually the truth will come out. Especially something like this."

"I'll just have to be careful then, don't I?" Considering the conversation over Merlin concentrated back on her soup and almost choked when the physician asked his next question.

"And speaking about careful, what did Gwen want to discuss with you earlier?"

Coughing to clear the soup, the young witch mumbled "She, kind of, knows that I'm a woman?"

Shocked silence met her answer and then: "_MERLIN!_"

Wisely, she decided to retreat to her room, before her uncle came down with a suitable lecture on what qualified as "careful".

**…_N__ow…_**

"Gaius, the King has requested your presence in the Throne Room." Arthur said tensely from the doorway, startling the old physician from the potion he was making and causing Merlin to almost drop the small bottle from which she was carefully measuring a few drops.

For once the clumsiness didn't attract any comments and that clued Merlin to the fact that the situation was serious. She wondered if she should stay out of _it_, whatever _it_ was.

"You too Merlin, come on!"

_Or maybe not._

"Gaius, do you know what's happening?" She whispered after catching up with the almost running physician.

"I don't know Merlin." They followed the prince to the Throne Room, where King Uther was scowling fiercely at a bound and cowering man. Merlin dry-swallowed and a shiver of foreboding traveled down her spine, her only indication that her destiny's threads were slowly unraveling.

...

_Far away in a cave, Niviane was smiling. The prince was exactly as the prophecy said; her little tests had proven that. She had no doubt that he was the one to retrieve the magical items she needed, one by one; and when the time was right, she would make him deliver them right up to her doorstep. As for the little sorceress staying by his side, she was no threat, not nearly as powerful as the enchantress had been led to believe. The little girl was already entangled in a web of lies of her own making that were going to make manipulating and eventually eliminate her, so much easier. _

_Yes, everything was going according to her plans. _

To be continued?

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**AN:** And so it begins. I promise you the next chapter will begin the first Arc out of three, which I've planned for this story. Oh, yes, adventure is waiting! :D

**P.S. **If you're confused with the timeline I've provided, all you need to know is that I've kept January 1, as Merlin's birthday (same as Colin Morgan's) and that she is 16 and a half years old when she goes to Camelot. Arthur is almost 19 at that time.


	3. Living Gold  Part 1

**AN: **So the adventure is slowly drawing closer. I hope all of you will enjoy this arc and will stick around until the end. I'll try to make it as adventurous and original as possible, yet still in Merlin's fashion. Also I want to give a big **THANK YOU **to all of you who reviewed, put this story on alert watch or simply on their favorites list.

**Warning:** I've taken a stick and severely beaten up several Greek myths and some ancient history for them to fit my storyline, so if anyone reading this is a history major, I apologize for it in advance. However, the Olympian Legends are something very dear to me – and not related to the universe of Percy Jackson – so I reserve the right to play with them with as much liberty as I have with the Merlin universe, knowing I'm not doing it out of malice, but just fun. Savvy?

**Betas: **The lovely and helpful **Anne-Lilian** and **Whirlwind421**. Thank you ladies from the heart. I proudly claim all remaining mistakes.

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**Living Gold – Part 1**

Navigating the stairs with a breakfast tray in hand while being almost asleep was a tricky move, but Merlin was getting the hang of it. It had been almost a week since they caught a man trying to steal the royal records dating back to the Great Purge, but the King feared there was more to it that it met the eye. So that meant a week of nearly sleepless nights spent researching dusty tomes for her and Gaius and busy days while she catered to Arthur's whims.

_No wonder she was dead on her feet_.

With only three near misses and one frantic juggling of the tray she was finally standing before the door to the prince's chambers, hoping his royal pratness was still asleep.

_No such chance._

"You're late!" the prince sounded as grumpy as only an Arthur-without-his-breakfast could and Merlin would have grinned weren't she too busy trying to stop the giant yawn that was threatening to split her face.

"Good morning to you too, Arthur." She barely managed to place the tray on the table, more or less dropping it, and only knocked down a goblet, which was thankfully empty. Ignoring the glare sent her way by the disgruntled prince, she stumbled to where a pile of clothes lay discarded on the floor, waiting for her to sort them.

Seeing his servant ignoring him, Arthur took his place at the table. There was no point in berating the idiot, if Merlin was turning a deaf ear to his justified complains. Still, the young servant seemed even clumsier than usual. The prince decided to keep a close eye on him while enjoying his breakfast. _And yes, he could do more than a thing at once, despite what Merlin sometimes implied! _Arthur shook his head, while asking himself why he accepted such disrespect.

_Honestly, couldn't the prat dress himself without making a huge mess? _Merlin critically eyed a white shirt for any visible stains then she put it in the pile waiting to be washed. As far as she could tell Arthur went through more clothes during the day than most women she knew, except perhaps Morgana. Hiding a smile at the thought, and knowing better than to voice that out loud, Merlin straightened the last shirt she deemed clean enough to be put back in the closet. After that task, she moved to pick up the armor, when her tiredness came back with a vengeance and made her trip on something that shouldn't be on the ground, if it weren't for an untidy prince. And she nearly face planted on the floor, had said prince not reacted lightning-fast and caught her by the scruff of her shirt only seconds before.

"You're asleep on your feet. What did you do last night? Honestly, Merlin can't you do something as simple as sleeping right?" Arthur asked before hauling her back up, sarcastic words covering for the concern he was feeling. He had suspected that under those large clothes, his servant was just skin and bones but even so the boy was too light. A fleeting thought - _that_ _something wasn't quite right_ - passed through his mind but he shoved it quickly aside. For all his complaining about Merlin's disrespect and incompetence, he liked having the young boy around so he decided he should ignore all the evidence pointing that not all was what it seemed with his servant. That was, of course, until Merlin proved to be a threat to Camelot, then all bets were off.

Yet, for all the talents Merlin possessed, mind reading was not one of them, so when the prince refused to let go of her shirt, while giving her a peculiar gaze, she started to feel apprehensive._ Had she given herself away somehow?_ It was best to put some distance between them and fast, so mumbling a quick, "Thank you, Sire." She wriggled free from his grasp and started to gather the scattered armor.

Left standing, Arthur just sent his servant another thoughtful look, and then he returned to his breakfast. Seated, he made quick work of the scrambled eggs on his plate, and between morsels, he returned to his questioning as if nothing had happened.

"So, do you want to tell me why you are tripping on your own two feet this morning? I mean, more than usual."

"Because Gaius kept me up all night researching."

Arthur pulled a face as if he had smelled something particularly foul, then he pointed out, "And yet, I've already seen Gaius this morning and he wasn't sleepwalking like you do."

Merlin snorted. "Of course he doesn't. I swear he was having fun reading all those books." She shook her head trying to dispel the memory of her mentor with three books opened in front of him, looking like he was having the time of his life, despite the horde of papers that had invaded all available spaces of the Physician's room. "I don't even know if he went to sleep at all." She said with resigned fondness.

"And did you find anything? It's been a week already since we've caught that thief. How long does it take to find out what he was really after?"

Merlin winced remembering the unfortunate law-breaker. His judgment had been quick and the punishment swift. For trying to steal from the royal records and threatening the Royal Scribe he got twenty lashes. And for deliberately searching about magic it had been the executioner's axe. Not to say the king wasn't consistent in his ways.

"I'm sure Gaius has found something. In fact, why don't I go and help him out?" she asked with mock innocence while slowly inching to the door.

"Nice try Merlin, but you're not getting away from your chores. Now, my clothes need washing, my armor needs to be polished… " Arthur continued on and on while Merlin sleepily nodded. _She had been so close to her escape!_ Now, she just knew this was going to be one of those long days.

Fortunately for her, by mid afternoon Arthur was summoned to see his father and she had to accompany him, so half of the chores he assigned were left for a later date. Arriving in the throne room Merlin chose a corner from where she could see everyone - which right now included only Gaius, the king and the prince - but not be visible herself, and there she proceeded to let her mind wonder, while the physician gave his report on the research he had been carrying for the last couple of days.

xxxXxXxXxxx

"Tell me Gaius, what have you found?" the king sat on his throne, one hand stroking his chin, while he listened to his trusted advisor.

"My lord, taking into account the books the man was trying to steal, what he said during his interrogation and the references I've found in my research, the item he was searching is the Goddess' Necklace or better known as Hera's Necklace." Gaius paused as if encouraging his audience to ask questions, but both the king and the prince, who standing right beside the throne, looked puzzled, and clearly not getting the importance of his statement. Suppressing a huff at their ignorance, the physician continued. "According to the legend, it is an artifact of extreme power created by the god of craftsmen Hephaestus as a gift to his mother, the goddess Hera, so that she would bless his union with Aphrodite the goddess of love. To make it he allegedly used living gold, the tears of the moon and a heart of magic and it is said that whoever wears that necklace would have their wishes come true."

That apparently got the attention of everyone in the room even Merlin's who had been dozing slightly in the shadows.

"Where is this artifact now?" the king asked tersely.

"Most likely lost at the end of the Hellenic civilization." The drain of tension from the king's shoulders was visible, but Gaius wasn't finished. "However, I have reasons to believe that the items needed to make it have survived to this day. In fact, I'm certain that I know to what the legend refers to as living gold."

"What is it then?" Arthur had never been particularly patient.

"It's the Golden Fleece."

Right on cue, there went the puzzled frowns from the royal pair, prompting the physician to start explaining. _Honestly, didn't the royal tutors teach anything these days?_ "The Golden Fleece, in the ancient myths, is the only thing that remained from a gold haired winged ram that later became the constellation of Aries. Even after the ram was sacrificed to the god Poseidon, its fleece was preserved on an oak, guarded by a dragon, where it continued to shine and grow as if it were alive."

"But isn't that supposed to have disappeared as well?" Nobody was more surprised than Merlin to find herself talking, especially in the presence of the king. Embarrassed and a little fearful, she ducked her head and fumbled an apology, while unhappily contemplating how long she'll be in the stocks for the impertinence. Luckily for her, she had raised a valid point so the king let it slide, after sending her a brief irritated glare. Gaius quickly redirected the attention back to him.

"No, it didn't. It was taken by the hero Jason, with the help of the witch Medea and brought to the ancient city of Iolcus as proof that the prince was the right contender to the throne of Thessaly. When the hero fell out of favor with the goddess Hera, for betraying his wife, the fleece was taken to the oracle in Delphi were it remained until the Romans gained influence in the area and brought it to their capital as a gift to the temple of Jupiter. The last records that I could find were written by Suetonius, an historian from Emperor Hadrian's court, who claims that the Emperor may have used it to pay for the wall that divides the territory controlled by the Romans and the Northern part of Britain. "

The king had risen from his throne and was pacing while his advisor was weaving his tale, but at the last part he stopped and frowned. "You claim that this Golden Fleece is somewhere in Albion. How do we know that it hadn't been melted yet, or otherwise destroyed?"

"Apart from it being a magical artifact, I have the proof I need in the royal records that was almost stolen a week ago." Gaius said with confidence while unrolling a particularly thick scroll on the table in the middle of the room. Both the king and the prince gathered around him. "Here," the physician pointed to a particular name, "this man Alvin, was a jeweler that crafted pieces from strands of gold so fine, it was impossible for them to be normally crafted. When questioned by your guards he confessed buying the gold, already in this form, from a small village near the Forest of Muirden."

"And you think someone there has the fleece or knows of its location?" the king asked, returning back to his throne.

"It's a likely lead, sire."

"Then, I should take a few knights with me and investigate it." Bored by the long talk, Arthur was ready to jump into action. When no objections came, he bowed slightly to his father and turned around. He was almost at the door when the king's words made him slow down.

"Arthur." The king's tone was grave. "The Forest of Muirden is within the territory of Mercia. Take with you only two of your best knights; otherwise Bayard may think this is a breach of the peace treaty."

"Understood, father. We'll leave first thing in the morning. Come, Merlin." And the prince left the room, his servant fast behind him.

xxxXxXxXxxx

The afternoon passed in a flurry of activity, with Merlin running up and down the corridors to gather everything was needed for the journey, but she still had the time to make two very important stops. The first person she sought was, predictably, mending her mistress' dress in a quiet room near the royal family chambers.

"Gwen, you have to help me!" the witch employed her best puppy eyed look, hoping to impress her friend. The older servant girl, wiser to the ways of the world, was not so easily moved.

"Merlin, no." Gwen whispered knowing that if anyone was listening they would both be in trouble. "Look," she continued, "I promised to keep your secret, but now you're asking me to actively be part of your lies."

"Gwen, please, he's starting to suspect something."

"Then maybe you should tell the truth before it gets too serious."

"You and Gaius both say the same thing." Merlin huffed and seated herself on a chair next to the other girl while Gwen put down her work and gave her entire attention to the distraught young woman, "You know what they say about great minds." Gwen tried to lighten the mood and managed to get a small smile in return.

"Yes, but now really is not the time. He's going on a journey, and while he is taking his _manservant_ with him, I know he wouldn't dream of taking his _maidservant_. That is if I'm still allowed to remain in his employment."

"Strange, in the beginning, you didn't even like him. Said he was a giant prat. So what changed to make you want to remain by his side so badly?" the servant girl asked, watching her friend intently.

Merlin could feel her cheeks warming up a little and fidgeted in her seat. "Oh, he's still one, most of the time. But sometimes...I get to see these glimpses of the king he could become. And if there's something I can do, even a little, to help him become that, then I want to be by his side."By now her cheeks were probably flaming red, if the knowing, part amused and part pitying look Gwen was giving her was any indication, but this was the explanation closest to the truth she could give. She did her best to ignore what her words also implied – _she did not like Arthur – _and congratulated herself on not mentioning anything about the shared destiny with the prince. _Who knows what Gwen would make out of that!_

They stood in silence for a few moments while Gwen mulled over their discussion and reached her decision, and apparently Merlin's confession had been the right thing to say because the seamstress looked ready to get to work. "Alright. What exactly do you need?"

"I'm not really sure. Something to make me look a bit manlier? And maybe something for these as well?" Merlin said pointing to her almost nonexistent chest. "I think they are starting to grow. Oh, shut up!" she glared while Gwen was valiantly trying to swallow her chuckles.

"I didn't say anything." The servant girl defended herself, reigning in the mirth while Merlin silently fumed. "I think we should go with a corset; a modified one that flattens your chest and widens up in the waist area so it masks your figure. And some pads for the shoulders, so you'll appear bigger. And keep that neckerchief with you all the time. It masks how smooth your neck really is." Gwen continued to air ideas on what to do, having already started to measure things up.

While a bit frightened about some of the suggestions, Merlin couldn't help but feel grateful that she had such a helpful friend. Half an hour later, with the promise that everything will be ready by nightfall, the young witch sneaked into the dungeon where her second important meeting for the afternoon was about to take place.

xxxXxXxXxxx

"You shouldn't go." The Great Dragon was intimidating at the best of times, but having him so disapproving was a new experience for the young witch. Merlin tried to alleviate the tension.

"Why, are you going to miss me?" she tried a cheeky grin, but the intense staring didn't lessen. She dropped the act. "Besides, that's a moot point. Arthur is going, therefore I must go too."

The Dragon shifted a little on the rock where he was perched like a giant buzzard and shook his head as if he couldn't understand the follies of young people.

"Tell me young sorceress, why do you seek my counsel if you're determined not to do what I'm telling you?"

"But why? It's not a trap, is it?" Merlin really hoped that wasn't the case, but the Dragon suddenly decided to be his usually mysterious self and stretched his wings, preparing to lift off. However, before disappearing, he still found the time to impart one last bit of wisdom.

"If you're determined to go, remember this, young one: _Trust no one_." And he was airborne, leaving Merlin with more questions than answers.

_That was…illuminating._

xxxXxXxXxxx

That night, safely into the Physician's Chambers, after everything was packed and carefully parceled for the upcoming trip, both Merlin and Gaius did a passable imitation of eating dinner. The physician actually moved the fork a few times to his lips, but for her part, the young witch just rearranged the peas and the meat into new shapes.

"Have you packed your books?" Gaius broke the heavy silence, posing the same question he had asked half an hour ago.

Merlin gave up on her dinner. "Yes I did. Especially the magic book and the Bestiary." The second book had been a very pleasant surprise. Gaius had came up to her room while she was packing and just like when he had given her the spell book, he had handed her an obviously expensive tome with little ceremony, just saying something how quests like these usually came with dangerous beasts and the book might come in handy. It was something so _Gaius_, to show his affection through gestures, rather than empty words, that it had prompted her to quickly put the book down and envelop the startled physician into a bear hug.

"Everything is packed and I'm ready to go." Even the modified clothes from Gwen had arrived. She was as ready as she could be for the journey.

"Then why are you so nervous?" Gaius too, had stopped eating.

"I don't know. Something about this whole affair doesn't seem right. It's like there's something out there that's blocking us from seeing the whole picture." It wasn't until she voiced it out loud that she finally realized the thought had always been there, in the back of her mind, the entire week since they had caught the thief.

Gaius sighed and took one of her curled fists in his own wizened and warm hands in an attempt to comfort her. "Merlin, the moment I realized what the thief was really looking for I was afraid that this was nothing but a carefully laid out trap. Yet, I also knew that when the king found out that there was a powerful magical artifact out there that could be used against Camelot, he will not idly stand by and hope that no enemy of the kingdom would get their hands on it. So even if it's a trap, the prince was going to be sent after it and you were going to go with him." The old man sighed almost defeated, "The best I could do was teaching you as much as I could in the remaining time."

Merlin felt a rush of affection so great for her uncle that for a moment she could barely speak. "So...all the research you had me reading well into the night, was to prepare me?" She gestured to the room where all kinds of papers were still strewn around. "No wonder I was just as surprised by your findings today in the Court Room, as everyone else. It was like I had been reading completely different books from yours."

"Because you were." The smile on the physician's face was just as impish as the grin that sometimes adorned her own face when she pulling the wool over someone's eyes. It was in those small things that Merlin could see the family resemblance.

"So, even if it's a trap, do you think we can pull it through?" she looked directly at Gaius, searching for any hesitation in his reassurance.

"Between you and Arthur? I have no doubt. Now eat your dinner before the food goes completely cold."

And strangely the food didn't quite taste like ash anymore.

xxxXxXxXxxx

"_So the little witch has good instincts then? Good, that will make the game more interesting!" Niviane said to herself while moving her hand over the small pool of water resting on a pedestal in front of her and swapping one image for another. The King had been easy to manipulate, just a hint of something powerfully magical and he was sending his son to investigate, placing the young knight exactly where she wanted him. Ah, it felt so good to have that kind of power once again. And when the necklace was finally hers, the entire world would be at her feet. _

_A scarred face suddenly appearing in the water brought her out of her daydream as a pleasant voice politely enquired "You called my Lady?"_

"_Edwin, my dear. There are some guests coming your way in the next couple of days. Please prepare for them."_

"_Of course my Lady. Anything else?"_

"_That will be all." Then her voice changed to cold steel. "And Edwin, don't disappoint me."_

To be continued?

* * *

**AN: ****A Bestiary - **an illustrated volume in the Middle Ages that described various beasts: animals, birds and even rocks, the illustrations being usually accompanied by a moral lesson. (source: Wikipedia)

Also before anyone points out that Merlin is quite a late bloomer, the age when puberty occurs is different from one individual to another. It is scientifically proved that lower protein intakes and higher dietary fiber intakes, as occur with typical vegetarian diets, (which was probably the diet in Ealdor) are associated with later onset and slower progression of female puberty. Stress, social and psychological factors also play important role, and the change of environment (her coming to Camelot), and probably diet, can change and speed the procces. (sampled from various sources, mainly Wikipedia)


End file.
